“Hunter” is approaching: prospects for the use of the heavy stealthy S-70 UAV in Ukraine
Image by gunsfriend.ru
Size matters
Wars and armed conflicts of recent times have clearly shown the increasing importance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the battlefield. Of course, first of all, we are talking about the Russian Special Military Operation (SVO), which has been ongoing for almost two years, to denazify Ukraine.
It is characteristic that during the SVO, the most significant role is played by small-sized UAVs, such as FPV-drones-kamikazes, reconnaissance UAVs and quadrocopter (octacopter/hexacopter) UAV bombers. At the same time, medium-sized Male class UAVs, for example, such as the Turkish Bayraktar TV2 UAV, which performed well during the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, did not have a significant impact on the course of hostilities in Ukraine, being a fairly simple target for Russian air defense systems. .
However, here it is necessary to make a reservation that negative experience in the use of medium-sized UAVs was obtained mainly by the Ukrainian side, since the number of Russian medium-sized Orion UAVs, apparently, is still extremely limited, and heavier Sirius UAVs are in the process of development. On the other hand, if you use them in the Northern Military District zone in the same way as the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) used Turkish Bayraktar TV2 UAVs, then the result will most likely be the same.
But Male class UAVs are not the “top of the power chain” - this role is claimed by heavy UAVs with a jet engine, whose characteristics approach those of manned tactical combat aircraft, and in some ways surpass them.
In 2007, at the MAKS air show, a model of the Russian heavy stealth jet UAV “Skat”, developed by the MiG company, made according to the “flying wing” aerodynamic design, was shown. It was assumed that the maximum take-off weight of the Skat UAV would be up to 20 tons, the flight range would be up to 4 kilometers, the service ceiling would be up to 000 meters, and the combat load would be up to 15 tons. It was planned to use a non-afterburning turbojet engine (TRJ) RD-000B with a flat nozzle (a modification of the RD-ZZ turbojet engine of the MiG-6 fighter) as the power plant.
Full-size mock-up of the Skat UAV at MAKS 2007, with the Kh-31P anti-radar missile in the foreground. Image by Pyccue
Presumably, in 2011–2012, the Sukhoi company was chosen as the developer of a heavy jet UAV in the 10–20 ton weight class. Perhaps after this, the groundwork implemented within the framework of the Skat UAV program was used in the development of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV.
Like the Skat UAV, the S-70 Okhotnik UAV is designed according to the “flying wing” design; solutions to reduce visibility are widely used in its design - in the extreme version of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV, it has a flat engine nozzle, presumably this modification of the AL-41F family engine without an afterburner (which is not needed for a subsonic UAV).
Flight of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV prototype. Image by Mil.ru
The length of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV is 14 meters, the wingspan is 19 meters. Take-off weight is about 20–25 tons, with a payload, according to various sources, 2,8/6/8 tons. The maximum speed is about 1 kilometers per hour, the service ceiling is up to 000 meters, the flight range is up to 18 kilometers.
It has been stated that the main task of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV will be to work in conjunction with the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, but other scenarios for the use of this combat vehicle cannot be ruled out. Presumably, the Okhotnik has developed avionics (avionics), including a radar station, electronic reconnaissance (RTR) and radar warfare (EW) equipment. It is possible that an optical-electronic station (OES) will be installed on the S-70 Okhotnik UAV.
It is also impossible to exclude the emergence of several versions of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV, for example, a more advanced and expensive modification, designed to work in conjunction with the Su-57, will carry on board an active phased array radar (AFAR) and will be capable of using air-to-air missiles, while for a modification intended to strike ground targets with known coordinates, a complex and expensive electronic electronic equipment, including a radar with an AFAR, will become clearly redundant.
Joint flight of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV and the Su-57 fighter Image Mil.ru
According to information from open sources, there are currently three flight prototypes of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV, and three more UAVs are under construction. Thus, potentially by the end of 2024 we can expect the appearance of three serial S-70 Okhotnik UAVs in the ranks of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS).
According to a number of Internet resources, the S-70 “Okhotnik” UAV was first used in the Northern Military District zone back in June 2023; subsequently, no information was received about the operation of this vehicle in Ukraine. Considering that, presumably, the development of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV is nearing completion and the start of mass production, there is a high probability that these UAVs will be actively used in the Northern Military District zone.
Let's talk about how and in what capacity this can happen.
Battle check
First of all, it can be assumed that the S-70 Okhotnik UAV will not be sent deep into the territory of Ukraine, at least at first. It would seem that UAVs of this type are precisely designed to carry out strikes deep in enemy territory, so why not use them in this capacity?
The fact is that no matter how modern and inconspicuous the Okhotnik UAV is, no matter what electronic warfare equipment is installed on it, there is always a risk of its loss, both due to enemy influence and due to possible equipment failures. Considering how undesirable it is for the latest models to fall into the hands of the enemy, by which we primarily mean not Ukraine, but the United States and Great Britain, it is hardly worth deploying the Okhotnik UAV behind the line of combat contact (LCC).
That is, no raids deep into enemy territory to hit particularly important targets - for this there is Long-range kamikaze UAV, cruise, operational-tactical and aeroballistic missiles.
Of course, there is no point in talking about the possibility of using the S-70 Okhotnik UAV as an attack aircraft to hunt for armored vehicles on LBS, as well as about using this vehicle to drop free-falling aerial bombs. Of course, this is technically possible, but it would be absurd to risk the latest expensive a fighting machine for solving problems that they cope with perfectly combat helicoptersartillery UAV type "Lancet" and the ubiquitous FPV drones.
According to the cost-effectiveness criterion, FPV drones have practically no competitors
The use of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV as a carrier of aerial bombs with UMPC can also be questioned. No, of course, such an application may take place within the framework of any tests, but it is hardly advisable to do this on an ongoing basis. The reason is simple, apparently, the S-70 “Okhotnik” UAV will be a rather complex and expensive combat vehicle, there won’t be many of them in the army, and aerial bombs with UMPC are relatively inexpensive weapon specifically for mass use.
To solve this problem, it is better to use inexpensive combat vehicles, as we previously discussed in the materials “Lessons from the Northern Military District: multifunctional weapons systems should complement highly specialized combat vehicles” и "Thunder" over Ukraine: a promising UAV can become the most effective carrier of aerial bombs with UMPC".
A much more promising area for using the S-70 Okhotnik UAV is the destruction of high-value targets using modern high-precision munitions, for example, such as the Kh-59MK2 tactical air-to-surface missile. Thanks to the stealth nature of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV, it will potentially be able to approach the LBS without crossing it, thereby ensuring the maximum depth of use of high-precision ammunition used with minimal risk to the carrier. In the event that the enemy still manages to hit the S-70 Okhotnik UAV, its fragments will fall on territory controlled by Russian troops, therefore, they will not fall into the hands of the enemy.
Model of the Kh-59MK2 missile, designed for placement in the internal compartments of stealth combat aircraft. Image by Vitaly V. Kuzmin
However, it can be assumed that the S-70 Okhotnik UAV can show its greatest effectiveness when used to counter enemy air defense systems. The ambush tactics of using anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM) used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces lead to extremely unpleasant losses for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (RF Armed Forces). The latest such case was a sneak attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on a Russian Il-76 transport aircraft that was transporting Ukrainian prisoners of war for exchange.
SAM Hunter
It is quite difficult to counter the ambush tactics of using air defense systems - the enemy secretly moves a long-range air defense system as close as possible to the LBS, then turns on the radar station (radar) for a short period of time, locks on the target, and launches an anti-aircraft guided missile (SAM). After hitting the target, the air defense system is folded up as quickly as possible and withdrawn from the LBS deep into the controlled territory.
A feature of the ambush tactics of using air defense systems of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is the receipt of information about the presence of a target in the affected area from third-party sources, for example, from reconnaissance assets of NATO countries or agents on Russian territory. This allows the radar to be turned on for a minimum period of time, which makes it difficult to counter the operation of such air defense systems.
In addition, the American Patriot air defense systems used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine can use missiles with an active radar homing head (ARLGSN), which allows you to turn off the radar immediately after launching the missile (although this somewhat reduces the likelihood of hitting a target compared to when the air defense system tracks the target of its radar and adjusts the flight path of the missile defense system up to the moment of hitting the target).
The AN/MPQ-53 multifunctional radar with a passive phased array antenna is the most expensive part of the Patriot air defense system. Image by Hunini
Thus, the time required to detect and destroy an enemy air defense system is counted literally in minutes, if not less. The average flight speed of the domestic anti-radar missile (PRR) Kh-Z1P/Kh-Z1PD is about 2 M or 600-700 m/s, that is, a distance of 100 kilometers (the maximum range of the missile defense system from the Patriot air defense system) the PRR will cover in about XNUMX minutes - even During this time, the enemy air defense system can escape.
This adds up to the time required to detect and classify the enemy’s air defense system radar radiation, while all this time the air defense system hunter aircraft itself will be in the enemy air defense system’s kill zone. Someone may remember that the Kh-Z1PD PRR has a flight range of 180–250 kilometers, which allows the carrier not to enter the air defense missile system’s affected area, but the flight time of the PRR in this case will be already 5–7 minutes, which significantly increases the chances of the air defense missile system the enemy escapes unharmed.
By the way, the X-1 family of PRRs have parameters comparable to the Kh-Z1P/Kh-Z58PD PRR, and the Kh-58UShK modification is specifically designed for placement in the internal compartments of the fifth generation fighter Su-57; most likely, it can also be placed in the internal compartments UAV S-70 "Hunter". With a range of up to 250 kilometers, a maximum flight speed of 3,6 M and a broadband passive seeker, the Kh-70USHK PRR located in the compartments of the S-58 Okhotnik UAV will pose a serious threat to enemy air defense systems.
PRR X-58USHKE (export version). Image roe.ru
What are the benefits of using the S-70 Okhotnik UAV to hunt enemy air defense systems?
Firstly, the UAV can patrol for much longer than a manned aircraft - presumably, the patrol duration of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV can be up to 12 hours, while the pilot will not get tired, since he is simply not there, and the operators can work according to a schedule , optimal from the point of view of maintaining maximum combat readiness.
Secondly, the low visibility of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV will presumably allow it to patrol near the LBS with minimal risk of being hit by missiles. Of course, this ultimately depends on the effective scattering surface (ESR), reliable information about which is not available in open sources.
At the same time, in order to ensure the destruction of planes and helicopters over territory controlled by the RF Armed Forces, the enemy will have to drag the air defense system as close as possible to the LBS. In this case, the operators of the S-70 Okhotnik UAV will have a little more time to detect and classify the radiation from the air defense missile system radar and launch the anti-aircraft missile systems, which will only take a few minutes to reach the target. After launching a missile defense system against an enemy’s air defense system, the S-70 “Okhotnik” UAV can perform an evasive maneuver, going to low altitudes, in case the enemy has launched a missile defense system with an ARLGSN in its direction.
Of course, all of the above is based on open data and will largely depend on what kind of EPR the S-70 “Okhotnik” UAV will have, from what angles, what will be the composition of the avionics, whether it will be able to use EPR, and much more.
Conclusions
It is unlikely that in the foreseeable future S-70 Okhotnik UAVs will appear in the North Military District zone in significant quantities - most likely, these will be single copies. It would seem that they will not be able to have any serious influence on the military operations in the Northern Military District zone.
However, if you use the S-70 Okhotnik UAV against enemy air defense systems that use ambush tactics to destroy our planes and helicopters over Russian territory, then this will potentially allow the Russian Armed Forces to avoid very unpleasant losses. And the Ukrainian Armed Forces don’t have that many long-range air defense systems, so their destruction in itself is an extremely important, high-priority task.
Information